Where playing with toy soldiers is the whole point - and sharing the joy of doing so. And keeping a record of what's been done and what is still awaiting completion. A note of caution for those unfamiliar: this activity can be remarkably addictive and take over your free time. Well, now wait a minute, it's so much fun that shouldn't be a problem. Oh, that's right. It's not!
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Those figures come from four sources, the new Blue Moon range from Old Glory 25s, the older range from Old Glory 15s, Lancashire Games, and the defunct Cellmate Miniatures. That means a lot of variety.

I'm a long ways away from any photographs of the figures - but have a painting plan for when I do start painting them, alternating one Legation command with one Boxer command. That means once I've gotten two commands painted, I'll have enough for a game and then just build from there until the whole command is painted.

As designed, that yields six separate commands that are large enough, especially the Imperials and Regulars, to allow other players to join in for large convention games.

The legations will be listed in another post, hopefully pretty soon.

December 6, 2017
Dealing with flooding under house and while waiting for pumps to get rid of it, set up the legations and other buildings I've acquired - but not painted yet! - to take some more photos. I've included the new "German" legation which uses the Austrian building sold by Blue Moon and some corners, walls, and the gate house. I realized I need to buy two or three more packs of the barricades. So, here are the photos with comments:

Above is an overall shot looking down Canal Street - obviously without the canal. If you look closely, you can see some figures set up for perspective. They are ACW figures, not Boxer figures, just the first painted figures I could grab and cavalry not infantry. The figures on the walls are dismounted cavalry, Union troops of course. If you click on the pictures they should get larger for viewing.

This shot is from the other end of the table. Those wooden 'walls' are not my Tartar Wall but part of my cliff building project. Nearest the camera is a Chinese building and then the British, Russian, and American Legations. Across the canal - if it was modeled - are some Chinese buildings in the location of the Su Palace and then the misplaced French Legation which should be on the far side of the Japanese Legation but the table won't let it work that way so it is here. Then comes the Japanese Legation and across Legation Street is the German Legation. There are three ruins (all the same) and several in-tact Chinese buildings which might have been occupied by Europeans prior to the siege. A bunch more Chinese buildings and ruins in the next order sometime next year.

Closest to the camera and somewhat obscured is one of the ruins and behind it a couple of buildings, one a courtyard style building and the other an industrial style building.

Here, for perspective, a column of cavalry is exiting the American Legion onto Legation Street and about to cross the invisible south bridge across the invisible canal.

This is another view of the German Legation, the arch and porch above it are separate pieces from the main building but included of course.

The Japanese Legation sits adjacent to a ruin - though, if the ruin were meant to be the Spanish Legation, it should be on the other side closer to the Russians who are on the other side of Canal Street.

Another view of the French Legation.

Another view of those Chinese buildings north of the French Legation.

The ruin and building north of the British Legation - more or less near the Imperial Palace.

Another view of the British Legation.

This photo shows a need to 'tart' up the Russian Legation.

The Americans again.

A barricade across Legation Street from the German to Japanese Legation (shades of future relationships?).

A lower altitude view down Canal Street.

The Russian metal gate pieces.

Some dismounted cavalry on the wall - but not based properly for such placement.

Another shot of the American Legation.

And a long shot from the south.

The "German" pieces were cast in different color resins - but paint will hide that.

The Japanese Legation and a ruin and the barricade.

The French beyond the Japanese.

And the buildings beyond the French.

A building outside the American Legation, near the wall.

And then a shot showing the stand-in for the wall and the Americans.

Russians again.

And British beyond the Russians.

I have another full four feet and more of length to the table for adding more buildings. The challenge, obviously, is having enough width. (Ideal would be 6' x 9' minimum)

Now for lunch and then crawling under the house to deal with the flooding.

Enjoy! And plan your purchases from Blue Moon!!!

Some additional information. The above layout is 90" in total length from the faux Wall to the clutter at the other end of the table.

Hope that data proves useful to others.August 8, 2017
This period has been sitting way back on a cold back burner - but not ignored. And now that Blue Moon and Old Glory 25s have released their 15mm figures and buildings its moved up in priority. Why, at least up to a warm burner if not quite the front of the line, unless the bug bites which is a distinct possibility.

What follows are some photos of most of the buildings I've purchased, the five legation sets and one Chinese walled building (not yet photographed) and, obviously, not painted yet. Only got them yesterday so hopefully I'll be forgiven for showing them off unpainted but I figure some people will be glad to see them 'in situ' on a wargaming table even if the table isn't set for a game.

First photo show the British legation on the left and the Russian legation on the right.

This next view is just a back angle view of the British legation again.

Similarly, the Russian legation - which includes metal gates for either side of the gate and the gate itself. The main building here is the only one with much flash on it, most of the resin castings were remarkably clean, won't take long to clean everything, wash it, prime it, and then paint it. Painting it might take some time to do these wonderful models proper justice.

The space for the set-up here is 4' by 4' 1" and that allows a nice Legation Street but puts the three legation on the left more or less touching but a good gap between the British and Russian enclosures - as can be seen in the first photo above. (oh, that 'hot spot' is from the summer sun through a skylight on our covered patio (or lenai as it gets called around these parts).

This is the American legation compound and it took a little bit of puzzling out to get it properly set up. For all of these legations I've used a permanent marker on the bottom of all the pieces to both label which nation the piece is for and also to label (A, B, C, etc.) the connecting points to make it easier to set up in the future.

That is the French legation in the middle closest to the hot spot. The trees are just there to add some color. They will be felled out of there perches and turned into the main piece on a jungle base, hope I can find a few more but who knows, bought for cheap at a Ross store.

And here is the Japanese legation with quite a fancy gate house. Really like it.

And here is a bit of a focus on my "profile hills" (or even mountains) that are a step closer to game ready. They are inspired by an article found on the Major General's site - link on main page of this blog.

A closer shot of one of the three 'jungle' trees.

This is a photo of the Chinese 'passive' civilians, fourteen poses, two of each pose plus two more figures - and those baskets to hang from those poles. Purchased two packs of these to add to my Lancashire civilians for the Boxer Rebellion. It's China, need LOTS of Chinese figures. One of the packs had only 11 women, the other 12, both packs had at least 30 figures, one pack had one extra man so 61 Chinese civilians to add to my collection - and don't know what I'll do with that extra figure since I base everything in sets of three.

Last photo, for now any way, is of the European unarmed civilians. Again, two figures of each pose in each pack plus a couple of extras of one pose or another to make it to 30 figures in the pack. I've made both of these figure packs Extra-Large to make it easier for those interested to see them.

One very cool 'feature' of this collection is that several of the buildings can be used for other purposes, I can see a number of the main legation buildings being used in both pirate games and musketeer games at a minimum. Will be ordering more figures and lots more buildings to get to my new goal for this reawakened collection.

April 7, 2013

Did a little browsing and found this blog with some very nice 15 mm building scratchbuilds for the Boxer Rebellions: http://15mmboxerrebellion.blogspot.com/
Just recording it so I don't lose track of it when I get back to building my own, already started. Great inspiration there.March 14, 2013

Most recent addition to this collection is two pagodas found at pet store. Always looking for more architecture suitable for this period in my scale (15 mm).December 14, 2012

So, most of my figures (all?) come from three sources: Old Glory 15s, Lancashire Games, and Cellmate Miniatures. Some might quibble about those lines matching to each other and I can see how some might be bothered but they are just toys in the end. And I needed to go to all three to get the mix I wanted, which I will list below. There might be the odd Irregular or some other figure that snuck in here or there. One thing I haven't been able to find is casualty figures to suit the period, especially for the Chinese. Donnington might have something I can adapt but I'd love to find a nice grouping of 15 mm Boxer era casualties.

All groups are of 12 figures each. For the Chinese only, there are mounted command figures (with a dismounted figure to match to the foot figures) for every 4 units and then 4 overall leaders plus two groups of mounted command (one mounted figure and one foot figure).

For the Chinese, there are two mounted units and the following foot units:

I'm also in the works (so many things in the works of late) of building a large temple and whole bunch of buildings to go both in it and around it. I've also collected quite a few destroyed buildings to add ambience to the scene of destruction. And I can always borrow one of my river boats to do something along the lines of a Sand Pebble inspired scenario. I even have a couple of Chinese junks courtesy of those fine folks at Old Glory 25s (well, I did pay for them!)

This should be a fun and colorful period to put on the table.December 8, 2012

Today, while checking out a thrift shop, I found two pairs of resin dragons I'll use to decorate the Imperial City I plan to build. Also found a small Buddha as well.

And then there is this, and I like it. I think I'll call my variation of this period "The Shadow Boxer Rebellion"! Such word play entertains me.scroll down for most current post to this page

When soldiers corrupt Poquin into Poo-queen you just know there's fun ahead. And fighting in some place called the Palace of the Divine Spring Concubine? I'm there.

Collecting materials to build my own structures for this one, have all the figures. And, for a change of pace, I actually kept the figure count somewhere within reason here. What happened to cause that, I wonder?

December 8, 2012

Today, while checking out a thrift shop, I found two pairs of resin dragons I'll use to decorate the Imperial City I plan to build. Also found a small Buddha as well.

And then there is this, and I like it. I think I'll call my variation of this period "The Shadow Boxer Rebellion"! Such word play entertains me.

December 14, 2012

So, most of my figures (all?) come from three sources: Old Glory 15s, Lancashire Games, and Cellmate Miniatures. Some might quibble about those lines matching to each other and I can see how some might be bothered but they are just toys in the end. And I needed to go to all three to get the mix I wanted, which I will list below. There might be the odd Irregular or some other figure that snuck in here or there. One thing I haven't been able to find is casualty figures to suit the period, especially for the Chinese. Donnington might have something I can adapt but I'd love to find a nice grouping of 15 mm Boxer era casualties.

All groups are of 12 figures each. For the Chinese only, there are mounted command figures (with a dismounted figure to match to the foot figures) for every 4 units and then 4 overall leaders plus two groups of mounted command (one mounted figure and one foot figure).

For the Chinese, there are two mounted units and the following foot units:

I'm also in the works (so many things in the works of late) of building a large temple and whole bunch of buildings to go both in it and around it. I've also collected quite a few destroyed buildings to add ambience to the scene of destruction. And I can always borrow one of my river boats to do something along the lines of a Sand Pebble inspired scenario. I even have a couple of Chinese junks courtesy of those fine folks at Old Glory 25s (well, I did pay for them!)

This should be a fun and colorful period to put on the table.

March 14, 2013

Most recent addition to this collection is two pagodas found at pet store. Always looking for more architecture suitable for this period in my scale (15 mm).

April 7, 2013

Did a little browsing and found this blog with some very nice 15 mm building scratchbuilds for the Boxer Rebellions: http://15mmboxerrebellion.blogspot.com/
Just recording it so I don't lose track of it when I get back to building my own, already started. Great inspiration there.